Are you aware that batteries, even with identical features and specifications may not necessarily have equal lifespan and performance? This is very true. Settling at the right model for your solar system may mean the difference between long life project, high performance and low maintenance or disappointing early failure and downtime.
Every battery is built uniquely with the other. Some manufacturers employ more lead and heavy grid, automated control for quality, robotic assembly, and continuous test of performance. Other manufacturers build batteries by use of manual assembly and obsolete materials that can interfere with its performance. Batteries that come with low prices seem like a bargain, but they demand regular maintenance and in the long run, end up failing.
Therefore, as a buyer, you should be able to easily identify variations in materials, design, manufacturing and the quality control, whenever you’re looking for solar system battery. The following is a guideline on how to choose the right battery following your solar energy requirement.
Battery life and Warranty
For the most energy storage at home, your battery is likely to charge and drain on a daily basis. The ability of the battery to hold charge slowly goes down in the course of its use. Solar batteries operate just like cell phone batteries – you have to charge your phone every night in order to use it during the day. As it grows old, you will notice that it cannot hold the charge like before. It does not look like the best deep cycle battery, they have the ability to recharge many times (many cycles) without internal damage, so durable, long life
A solar battery should have a warranty that will assure you a significant number of cycles for successful use. Since the battery performance goes down with time, most of the manufacturers will assure that the battery can keep some good amount of its capacity during the warranty period. Therefore, you need to go for a battery that will assure you a relatively longer duration of use.
The Battery Manufacturer
Different companies are developing and manufacturing solar-battery products, from tech startups to automotive companies. While, a big automotive company getting into the market of energy storage is likely to have a longer history of product manufacturing, although they may not provide the most comprehensive technology. Just, by contrast, tech start-up could have a new performing technology, though it lacks a backup record to prove long-term functionality of the battery.
Whether you go for a battery made by cutting-edge startup or a builder, a long history will all depend on priorities at hand. Going through warranties associated with every product will always give you additional guidance in the course of decision.
Solar battery lifespan
The general lifespan for a solar battery should range between 5 – 15 years. If a solar battery is installed today it should at least be replaced once within 25 to 30 years. However, the lifespan for solar panels have increased over a few years and so should the solar batteries since the market for energy storage solutions have greatly expanded
A battery that is easy to maintain will have a great effect on your solar system. Solar batteries are highly impacted by temperature, so protecting your battery against sweltering would increase its useful life. Most of the leading battery manufacturing companies such as Tesla have engaged in the provision of a feature for temperature moderation, in order to solve the problem. However, if the battery you want to purchase does not suffer temperature related breakdown, you will have to look at other remedies such as earth-sheltered enclosures.
The depth of Discharge (DoD)
Most of the solar batteries should be able to retain some charge at any time due to the chemical composition that makes them. If you exhaust 100% of battery charge, the useful life of that particular battery is likely to shorten. The DoD of a battery refers to the used amount of battery’s capacity. Most of the manufacturers ensure they specify the highest depth of discharge for maximum performance. For example, a 10 KWh battery comes with 90% DoD, therefore, you should utilize at least 9KWh of that particular battery before recharging. Generally, a higher depth of discharge assures you maximum utilization of your battery’s capacity. A factor worthy considerable!
Round-Trip Efficiency
The round-trip efficiency of a battery represents the amount of energy use as a percentage of energy that was used to store it. If a battery is fed with 5KWh of electricity and can only give out 4KWh of useful electricity, then it shows that the battery has a round-trip efficiency of 80%. Therefore, a battery with higher round-trip efficiency means that you will enjoy more economic value from your battery.
Conclusion
However, when you have knowledge of what you are looking for and what to avoid, in battery that operates on a solar energy equipment, it is easy to find the most effective and efficient solar power battery that will fit your needs. Always compare materials and the techniques of manufacturing to have an idea of a battery that will last longer and perform better.
